UKIP Surges Ahead of Governing Liberal Democrats in Survey

By Mike Harrison and Thomas Penny -
Dec 16, 2012

The U.K. Independence Party recorded
its highest-ever poll rating, pushing the governing coalition
partner Liberal Democrats into fourth place, according to a
ComRes survey for the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday
Mirror.

Support for Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative
Party fell three points from last month to 28 percent, according
to the survey. That’s 11 points behind the main opposition
Labour Party, which dropped four points to 39 percent.

UKIP, which favors a withdrawal from the European Union,
came in third with 14 percent, a six-point gain on November,
while the Lib Dems fell one point to 9 percent. Unhappiness with
the government, rather than opposition to Europe, appears to be
driving UKIP’s support, according to ComRes Chairman Andrew
Hawkins.

“There is good evidence that many UKIP voters are
erstwhile Conservatives on the rebound. Large proportions are
negative about David Cameron and George Osborne on the economy,
and about Mr Cameron’s handling of gay marriage,” Hawkins said
in an e-mailed statement. “Nineteen percent of the
Conservatives’ 2010 voters say that they now intend to vote
UKIP.”

Cameron’s announcement on Dec. 7 to press ahead with
legislation allowing gay marriage, including in places of
worship, helped drive UKIP’s support, Hawkins said. Some 46
percent of 2010 Conservative voters and 74 percent of UKIP
supporters said Cameron is not “showing leadership” on gay
marriage, the poll found.

Protest Party

Communities secretary Eric Pickles said UKIP is a party of
protest and the Conservatives will need to to take it on before
the next general election in 2015.

“Governments sometimes have to make some very difficult
decisions and, mid-term, we would expect a party of opposition
to be doing well in the polls,” Pickles said in an interview
with Sky TV. “We need to get dug in and fight them on the
ground on community issues.”

London Mayor Boris Johnson, a 4-1 favorite with bookmaker
William Hill to be the next Conservative leader, said he would
like to see a referendum on EU membership, though the government
is unlikely to call one before 2015.

“I would like to campaign for a single market and
withdrawl from all the nonsensical policies,” Johnson said in
an interview with BBC TV’s Andrew Marr show today. “My
preferred option is for us to stay in there” under renegotiated
terms.

If the U.K. chooses to leave the EU because it can’t get
the terms it wants “I don’t think that is necessarily the end
of the world,” Johnson said.